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The Polk RTi A3s prove that you don't need big speakers to get good sound. These bookshelf speakers feature Polk's exclusive Dynamic Balance® drivers for smooth accurate response. The woofers and tweeters undergo careful laser testing to help identify and eliminate unwanted resonances that can hinder a speaker's performance.

Enjoy rich, dynamic sound from compact bookshelf speakers

The Polk RTi A3s prove that you don't need big speakers to get good sound. These bookshelf speakers feature Polk's exclusive Dynamic Balance® drivers for smooth accurate response. The woofers and tweeters undergo careful laser testing to help identify and eliminate unwanted resonances that can hinder a speaker's performance.

Great for home theater or stereo music setups

The RTi A3s do a great job with stereo music on their own, but you can team them with a powered subwoofer for even better bass. Or use two pairs as your home theater's front and surround speakers for dynamic, detailed movie sound. For larger rooms, the RTi A3s work perfectly as surrounds in combination with RTi tower front speakers.

Priced per pair

Average Review:

These speaker not only sound great but they have a beautiful looking cherry finish.
I listen to a lot of Jazz, Blues and R&B on vinyl and they sound great..they're being driven by a harman/kardon HK3490. And the vinyl is turning on a Kenwood KD-3055 which I've owned since 1976.

Polk Audio RTi A3 Reviews

Polk Audio RTi A3

These speaker not only sound great but they have a beautiful looking cherry finish.
I listen to a lot of Jazz, Blues and R&B on vinyl and they sound great..they're being driven by a harman/kardon HK3490. And the vinyl is turning on a Kenwood KD-3055 which I've owned since 1976.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTi A3

I am not an expert on sound systems, but my new Polk Audion RT A3 really are a great treat for music listening. You don't have to turn up the volume their subtle sound is sweet. They are a nice looking set of speakers. I am happy and then some with them.

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1 of 1 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTi A3

WOW! I have not had a chance to listen long enough or to a big enough variety of music, but so far the sound from these speakers is incredible. The clarity is great and there is plenty of bass. Too many people want to enhance the bass so much that it over rides what the total music should sound like. Also, comparing cost from various vendors Crutchfield was actually lowest after considering the free shipping they offered. And speaking of shipping, I received the speakers the day after I ordered them, unbelievable. After I listen to these speakers a bit longer then I can give a better description, but to start they are absolutely worth the price.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Outstanding Sound

I went back and forth on this purchase...not sure why I was hesitating, but after reading all the reviews and already having Polk front and center & sub I decided to pair them with these to use as rear speakers (5.1). I have been listening to a lot more music lately and wanted some rear speakers that would sound as good as the fronts and center. My fronts are bi-amped tsi-300's. The new rti-a3's are not bi-amped and I think they still sound even better than my fronts. The rti-a3's are definitely more full and the highs are excellent. The complement the rest of the setup very well. I have only been listening for about 10 hours or so, but I only expect them to continue to improve after the break in period. I would absolutely purchase these again. Crutchfield is excellent. Thanks !

Pros:The highs are excellent and they really bring the music to life. They still provide decent base, but I use a sub woofer so I can adjust that. I tend to like music with a lot of base (Spotify Deep House Playlist & Groups like Stained & Akshin Alizadeh...).

Cons:Not necessarily a con, but now I'm probably going to spend more money on another pair for my basement setup.

0 of 0 found this helpful

pure clean sound

Quality speaker, ! originally went with the the Klipsch r15s. speakers. Wasn't satisfied with the sound of bass or mid range. Called Crutchfield, spoke with Payton, she recommended I take a look at these speakers. Very happy with them,. highs are outstanding, great mid range,and better bass than the klipsch..These will not pound out a lot of bass, but if your looking for pure clean sound you will love them. Plus the cherry wood cabinets are sweet ! Highly recommend if your looking for a really nice book shelf speaker...and they even priced matched

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1 of 1 found this helpful

Incredible sonic detail at all volume levels

The nearly 100% 5-star rating on these speakers is well deserved. The first thing that is obvious is their incredible frequency range. It seems to go on infinitely in both directions. Highs are crisp and clear and bass is defined and plentiful. You definitely do not need any tone control on these, which is pretty hard to believe - I've never owned a speaker that didn't need at least a touch of treble added for my taste. Impressively, their frequency coverage holds at all volume levels. I find myself listening to these at a lower volume than other speakers since the full spectrum of sound is evident even at very low volumes. I do have a subwoofer but only need to use it to add the slightest amount of feel to the low end. The Polks handle all the sonic details from the bass perfectly well. To be sure I compared these speakers to another brand I tried from Crutchfield (that I returned) and it was no contest. These Polks are in another class altogether. You won't be disappointed with these speakers. Vinyl or digital, everything sounds great. Pro tip: Try the scratch and dent and save a few bucks - mine arrived in perfect condition (it was only the cardboard box that had been damaged).

Pros:Full spectrum of sound, total sonic clarity across all frequencies, great even at low volumes

Cons:Was hoping to see a little more wood grain texture in the walnut finish

2 of 2 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTi A3

Peter from MINNESOTA on 11/9/2016

Purchased a "used" pair of these off Craigslist and was very disappointed with the ear fatigue and lack of bass. Then I put the speakers through 24 hours of run-in ( breaking-in). To be honest, I'm shocked by the improvement. Night and day. From what I've read, they can continue to improve through 100 hours of use. Suffice to say, I'm psyched about the future with these. The fatigue effect is already a tiny fraction of what it was. The previous owner must not have used them much! He'd said they were used as rears. I'm using them as fronts, and they are fantastic.

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0 of 2 found this helpful

The perfect combination of powerful bass and precise clarity!

These gems are the perfect bookshelf speakers! They provide the perfect combination of powerful bass frequencies at the same time they deliver prominent mids and precise clarity for the highs. They produce amazing bass for such a small speaker! .I was initially impressed with the specs for the frequency response, but hearing is believing! These are my third and best set of Polk bookshelf speakers!

Extraordinary!

Lamont S. from Brooklyn, NY on 9/23/2016

I recently wanted to date my speakers from a pair of Polk Audio RTi 38's that I purchased in 2002 which are still thumping strongly. I did a lot of research including listening to top-rated competitors like Klipsch, JBL, Cerwin-Vega and some others as well as reading reviews of all. What I came out to find is that for the sound quality, the Polk Audio RTi A3 bookshelf speakers are far more superior in sound quality than any of their competitors. The overall richness of the bass and the clear crisp tonal quality of the highs give any music the feel of being at a concert. Pure listening pleasure that cannot be surpassed and a price that is more than comfortable to live with. Better than some floor standing speakers.

Pros:The way music ought to sound.
Fantastic Acoustics
Everything you'd want and ask for in a bookshelf speaker.

POLK AUDIO RTIA3

Purchased these to replace my RT35 that are about 15 years old these are nice looking speakers with great sound can't wait to get the RTIA7 in the next couple of weeks.

Pros:Well made speakers

Cons:NONE!

0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome power from such small speakers!!

Ted E. from Chicago, IL on 4/1/2016

I recently purchased a vintage Pioneer SX-850 thru another retailer. The receiver was similar to the receiver my father had growing up. I also have a pair or Polk Audio 5 Jrs that I've had since college ('88-92). These speakers are still kicking! Obviously I wanted to stick with Polk so I called my product advisor and explained my set up and wishes. He directed me to the RTI A3 and what a great suggestion. These babies soar!! Deep bass, lots of mid and plenty of treble. Very well balanced and so full for such a compact set of speakers. I'm so excited to own a new pair of Polks and continue supporting this company. Thanks Hunter and Crutchfield for making my system sound amazing!

Very nice Speaker

I am using these with a Polk PSW 505 sub and the overall sound is impressive. I'm using digital sources only right now. I'd bet vinyl would sound off the charts through these speakers.

Pros:Polk is a good company that will go out of the way to help you. I also own an an old pair old RTI 100s that recently had amplifier failures . The folks at Polk were great with getting my RTI 100s restored to new condition! Back to the RTIA3s , they are a very nice looking speaker.Appears well built. More so, great sound!

Cons:They sound very similar to Infinity's Primus 163 at half the price. The Infintys however look cheap and I had woofer problems that could not be resolved so I junked them. I know from past experience, Polk is a good company to deal with.

Excellent sound

I'm an audiophile who has owned good equipment over the years and have a good ear for sound. I bought these speakers as a system with the A6 center speaker and 440wi subwoofer. I use it with the excellent sounding Marantz SR 7005 receiver. This is by far my favorite speaker system. It does well on all program sources including vinyl, streaming music, tv, etc. The A3 has a very full sound and good bass even without the bass speaker and the subwoofer has no problem filling an 18x 23 foot room with good bass. The dialogue on tv and movies is clear. Initially I did not like the remote control on the bass speaker but tracked down the problem to a weak battery that was supplied with the unit. The speaker system is very forgiving in terms of placement. I have the speakers set on either side of a 50 inch TV with the center speaker below on a shelf and the bass speaker on a side wall. I am very much enjoying these speakers. Electronics really does make a difference in sound so I would highly recommend not skimping in this area and also check the settings if you use the audyssey system to set up the speakers. The finish is very attractive as well

Pros:well made good sounding

Cons:none

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Value

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is sound quality in the ear of the listener. Not everyone prefers to hear sound from speakers the same way. Here are my thoughts on the Polk Audio Rti A3:
1) This is a bookshelf speaker. There's no getting around it. If you're expecting a full sound from top to bottom in a mid to large room, you're going to feel like something is missing. But if you evaluate them for what they are - a bookshelf speaker - they're pretty great, especially at this price point. They sound bigger than other bookshelf speakers because they are bigger. Polk did all they reasonably could to get the most range out of them.
2) Sound. I was listening to some violin music on them and noticed some pretty bad distortion at the high end I hadn't noticed before. Of course, I'd previously only listened to that music through my iphone speaker. So I listened again this time using the home theater speakers the Polk's are replacing and heard the distortion there too, just not as much. That's when I realized the distortion is not a problem with the speakers, rather it's in the source material. The Polk's just replicated it more clearly. If you like clarity in the treble, these are great. Just get good source material!
3) Imaging. When listening to my old HT speakers, I felt like I was in the back of the amphitheater looking for binoculars. With the Polk's, the band was right in front of me.
4) Design. These are beautiful

Pros:Great value
Clear sound
Not fatiguing
Nice to look at - my wife originally wanted in-ceiling speakers, but when she saw these, wanted to display them on our bookshelf!

Cons:Depending on your application, you'll probably want a sub. If it's a small room for occasional listening or background music they're great on their own. But if you want the full orchestral experience, want to bass drum to resonate in your chest, or want to feel like you were in that explosion, you'll want a sub. I got the dsw 440 sub and plan on using it to give the mains the bottom end I want, plus a dual 10" sub (psw1000) for LFE. Sound is balanced, clear, and full with this setup.

4 of 4 found this helpful

Polk RTi A3

These speakers sound as good as they look. I originally had wanted floor standing speakers but wasn't prepared to spend the extra cash. So I searched and read reviews and specs and came up with these. I bought them without hearing them which can be risky but I put my trust in Polks solid reputation and they did not disappoint. They are producing a nice deep low end which was more than expected and they are solid when you are pushing some power through them. So the bottom line is great sound at a reasonable price.

Sound excellent

You will love these speakers depending on your point of reference. I was going from Bose am15 surround sound to adding these on the B channel to improve the sound of music. The bose are Great for their size but cannot produce the full spectrum like a larger speaker can. I read so many reviews on bookshelf speakers of this size and price some love the speakers and some thought they werent good enough. I was a little worried since i know i could do better with a b&w or martin logan speaker. However, i could not pass up the chance to get a free $300 polk sub with my order so that swayed me to these. As somewhat of an audiophile, i was nervous that these wouldnt be enough, but they sound awesome and clean. In certain parts of my apartment living room the bass from these literally sounds like a small sub its so good. I love loud and crisp treble and these SMOKE the bose in that area. If youve never owned speakers this nice then i seriously doubt you will be disappointed. If however you are an audiophile and already own equipment this pricey then maybe you want something even better, im not sure. All i know is that there is a huge difference in sound for every $100 extra you spend on speakers. From what i have heard from the ones even better than these, you have serious diminishing returns the more you spend over this amount. You want a big improvement over these? You better spend double in my opinion.

Pros:Great price and sound
Polk name brand confidence

Cons:Definitely a little big for a bookshelf speaker so make sure you have room

3 of 3 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTA3 Bookshelf Speakers

Excelent speakers: I purchased the RTA3 speakers 2 weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised when I connected them to the Harmon Karddon HK 3770 receiver and a Polk Audio PSW 400 sub. The sound is amazing. Big sound for bookshelf speakers.

Pros:Very clear sound for bookshelf speakers. You get more bang for the buck with these speakers. They sound just as good as some floor standing speakers.

Cons:None.

1 of 2 found this helpful

Very good speakers

I bought a pair of these speakers about two months ago and I am very happy with this purchase. One thing that is great about these is the wall mount. It makes it so easy to hang them on the wall, and you do not even need stands, since you can mount them at any height or distance apart. My pair is not broke in yet, but even out of the box, they sound excellent. In fact, they sound very much like alot of other Polk Audio speakers, which is saying alot, I use to have RTi10's and even tho they are tower speakers, The RTia3's , sound much like them, except for the deep bass that the RTi10's had. I am using a 12" subwoofer to add bass to mine. These speakers are very deep, about as deep as they are tall, and they are one of the most attractive bookshelf speakers that I've seen. Anyone needing bookshelf speakers, should certainly give the RTia3's a try. I doubt they can be topped at their price. You will not be disapointed.

Pros:great sound, and very solidly constructed, and very attractive.

Cons:none,

4 of 4 found this helpful

Excellent

These things sound amazing! Bought them sight unseen/unheard, but felt comfortable given the price and how much I liked the Polk large bookshelves I've had for 15 years or so. These things don't disappoint. They're smaller than my old ones, but are still plenty big for bookshelf speakers and kick out a big sound. There's enough bass for me to not feel the need for a separate sub, which was probably my biggest concern at the outset. I'm no audiophile, so these babies seem like a great bang for the buck. Briefly considered dropping two (or three) times the coin on Martin Logans, etc., but that seemed a waste, especially for a bookshelf speaker. 5 star rating is based on the fact that you understand these are bookshelf speakers and shouldn't be compared to towers. For what they are, and given the price, these exceeded expectations.

Pros:Crisp, clean sound. Sleek, cherry finish looks as good as they sound.

Just what the doctor ordered!

I ordered the Polk-Audio-RTi-A3-Black speakers and I am totally happy with them. They sound crisp and clear and sound great with my Polk center speaker. They are aesthetically pleasing too. My next purchase will be a Polk Sub-woofer.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Speaker Review

In looking for non-tower type speakers with expansive, rich sound we settled on the RTiA3 from Polk Audio. The speakers match well with our Polk SubWoofer and were easily connected. Having a matched set (speaker and subwoofer) has provided us with what we believe is optimum sound. The speakers fit nicely in the space we have available and the sound is amazing. Very well defined highs and the kick into the low range through the subwoofer is awesome. The sound put out is very clear in all ranges no matter what the musical selection. From classical to rock n roll to rap to jazz. Overall, we are remarkably pleased with our purchase and would recommend Polk Audio products to all in search of good clean sound at a reasonable price.

Pros:Clear, well defined sound in all ranges. Very reasonably priced. Do not overwhelm the room (not too large).

Tough To Beat

The Polk RTi A3's are tough to beat for the money. Imaging is oustanding with very good detail. All frequencies are well balanced with no harshness. Treble is very smooth without being "in your face." Midrange is very present and bass is taut without being over powering. Would have to spend considerably more to get those last "n'th degrees" of detail. Was very surprised at how good these sound right out of the box. Sound even more refined after about 25+ hours of moderate level play. Can't go wrong for the price.

Pros:Imaging, detail, balance.

Cons:None for the price.

3 of 3 found this helpful

RTi A3

Though small, these deliver warm, life-like sound. Quite happy with them, especially the price point vs. quality equation. I have paired them with a sub-woofer (also a Polk), which adds the sort of beef at the low end that no small bookshelf speakers could ever supply, but if I turn that off they still sound quite full, meaning they don't require a SW to be good. With the SW classical sounds rich, though not contrived. Rock sounds large. When I put on a live album (Allison Krause and Union Station) the stand-up bass player was in the room, a sound I know well from years of playing this kind of music myself. You feel it in the floor, on your chest, even at natural volumes (the volume of the actual bass). But the other instruments also had this quality. Really, these are fine speakers and there's no need to spend an extra hundred to improve quality. If you have money, these will do the trick. They look nice too! But if you can do yourself a favor and get a subwoofer. It matters.

Pros:Solid performance at all levels, especially when pairs with a sub-woofer. This is a combination that makes a great set-up at a reasonable total price. I would go this route rather than leaving the sub-woofer off and spending that extra cash on even better speakers. Get the full package. You won't be disappointed.

Cons:Their shape makes them hard to put on an actual bookshelf without the front end hanging off-they're a bit long. They do have a very good mounting system though. Better yet, they are attractive (cover on or off) and other than this (being too long is not a flaw if it improves the sound) there are no cons. Not at this price, considering the sound you get in exchange.

5 of 5 found this helpful

Polk RTi-A3 speakers

Bought these after reading many reviews. Not disappointed at all. They have a very clean sound. by far the best speakers I have owned, which isn't saying a lot. However, these are the best sounding of any bookshelf speakers I have ever listened to, which does say a lot. I love them.

Pros:Very clean sound. I can hear the detail in instruments and strings that get muffled by other speakers. has remarkable power base too, for their size.

Cons:nothing so far.

3 of 3 found this helpful

outstanding speakers!

The number of reviews for these RTiA3 speakers convinced me. Where some people talk about the imaging, it's real. And where the Polk ads say close your eyes and you'll think you're listening to tower speakers, I agree. I wanted a straightforward stereo setup. As an experiment really, I ended up buying 2 sets of the A3s - a pair for left channel, a pair for right. Each pair is wired in parallel for 4 ohms at the amp with 12 gauge Monster cable. Each speaker sits on its own 24in Sanus stand. For each pair, the 2 A3's are about 2 feet apart. I also have a Polk 440 sub in the middle (downward facing on hardwood floor). And I tell you, the sound I'm getting from a lot of music I think rivals a single pair of speakers at 3 times this total cost. Pairing the speakers in this horizontal style seems to enhance the mid/base from the speakers. But the A3s do need a sub. They do have a bit of a small speaker sound by themselves. And very surprisingly, I upgraded the sub to their Polk 550 model, and it was worse sound - out of balance base. The 440 I think was a perfect match for the A3s. Some music sounds not so great while other music, I stop what I'm doing and just stand there listening to it it's so good. (General likes are classic and alternative rock, pop, electronic chill, electronic club). Note, the A3s have a back-ported base out to the sides. They need space around them. These are not bookshelf speakers in that regard. So much more to say but this review is cutting me shot!

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5 of 5 found this helpful

Great speakers

I had these speakers for 3 days before they started sounded good. I think there is definitely a break in period. Now they sound great. Definitely the best speakers I've ever had. I have them paired with a Denon AVR-1913 and a cheap Yamaha subwoofer.( I do think you need a subwoofer with these.) I really like the sound. Classy Speakers for sure. I was looking for better treble after having the Pioneer SP-BS41's.( good speakers ) for a while. I am very satisfied with these.

Outstanding looks and sound!

For the size, these can't be beat! Ours are wall mounted to the sides of the tv and being voice matched to the CSi A6 and the FXi A6's, they complete our surround setup flawlessly. Although they aren't "Large" speakers, they reproduce lows well enough. Most people have a sub as part of the setup, so any shortcomings will not be noticed.

I cannot believe the sound for the price

KennethC from Wyoming on 1/1/2015

I have owned Polk Audio speakers since the late 1980's. I have always been impressed by their sound. I presently have a completely refurbished pair of Polk Monitor 10B's I purchased new in 1989. I assembled a 5.1 surround system primarily for music. I purchased these RTi A3's for he rear surrounds. I did an A-B comparison between the 10B's these speakers have an awesome sound with bass that will move your house. Listening to the RTi A3's in every way equal or exceed the 10B's except in extreme bass. The advances in audio engineering are evident. I have a Klipsch subwoofer in a 2.1 setup the RTi A3 in combination blow the 10B's away. They are so good I may replace the10B's with the smaller and easier to position RTi A3's. They sure look a whole lot better.

Pros:Great sound, beautiful to look at. A fantastic value

Cons:None

3 of 3 found this helpful

Shockingly good for the money

Eric Reynolds from Oklahoma on 11/22/2014

I'm simply stunned that only this much money has brought me this much pleasure. I am listening to my cd and phono collection with renewed interest. As I write this, I have Yes: Closer To The Edge on and am loving the even sound. I am using a Yamaha A-S501 Integrated amp and this set up compares nicely with ridiculously more expensive systems that I have heard. Any criticism that these speakers lack bass must be from someone who was born only after the invention of the home subwoofer unit. The bass is completely adequate and any subwoofer addition is a matter of taste only. Brightness has evened out with break in. I did not buy more expensive speakers based on auditions of those speakers. Polk provides what I consider to be reasonably accurate and balanced sound. I will strongly consider Polk on any upgrade! Seriously, 5 stars for the money, and 4 at any price. Mine are bi-wired and I believe this evens out the sound in these units.

Pros:beautiful cabinets and sound.

Cons:were not free.

5 of 5 found this helpful

Pleasantly surprised

After reading many reviews from Crutchfield and other sources I was not surprised with the fidelity of these speakers. The five star reviews were in fact a reliable indicator of the quality of the Polk RTi A3's. This was my first "scratch and dent" purchase. Knowing they were going in my workshop shop, eventually be covered in saw dust, appearance was not a factor in selection. Everything was included in the package as listed on "what's in the box". The RTi A3's at first glance appeared to be in pristine condition. Close examination detected a few minimal scuff marks that could be consistent with rubbing against the packaging during shipment. Irregardless of cause for the scuff marks, I would gladly mount these speakers in my living room without reservation. Their appearance is superb. They are powered by an old Onkyo TX8211 stereo receiver outputting 50 watts / channel. It has absolutely no problem driving these speakers. My hearing will distort long before the speakers will. They are wall mounted 8 feet off the floor, tilted downward, and form a 15 foot equilateral triangle with the center of my workbench. The wall mounts (shop made) provide for about 18 inches of open space behind each speaker, and places them 10 feet from the corners. Off the floor and out of the way, they put to shame the pair of 20 year old three way RCA's with 8" woofers they replaced, Thank you Crutchfield, I absolutely love these speakers.

Cons:They look too good to be in a dusty workshop. I guess that's not really a con.
They sound too good to be in a dusty workshop. I guess that's not really a con either.
Finally, a real con, my wife want's me to bring them in the house.

7 of 7 found this helpful

Great sound and beautiful wood finish

I researched speakers for a very long time trying to ensure I got what I was looking for. I was setting up a surround sound system along with a system for music for our larger family room with built in bookcases. I selected these Polk's as my bookshelf speakers. I am so glad I did. The shipping was fast, the packaging was excellent and the speakers quality of just looks was awesome. I immediately hooked them up and sit back and just smiled as the sound filled the room perfectly. You will be amazed at the quality of the sound. You can actually crank these up very loud with no distortion. I am very happy with these and would recommend them to anyone seeking a bookshelf speaker that will delivery quality sound in a quality enclosure.

Pros:Beautiful woodwork, excellent sound, price.

Cons:none.

0 of 1 found this helpful

Completely Satisfied

I converted to a small speaker home theater system a couple of years ago and have not been satisfied with them when listening to music. I worked with the sales advisor on two separate occasions. Both times I worked with the same advisor who was very helpful in assisting me in narrowing down possible selections. These speakers have more than met my expectations. Mid and upper tones are great. The bass, while not booming, is surely adequate for listening to music. Might not be the choice for those playing mostly rock/roll or heavy metal type music. I listen mostly to classical and am totally satisfied with their performance.

Pros:Very good sound from a fairly small speaker. Beautiful fit and finish.

Cons:None noted at this point. Have had them only a couple of months.

3 of 3 found this helpful

Demo

Kelley from Lewisville, TX on 9/4/2014

I have been considering these speakers seriously so I went to a local shop to listen and I figured I would share. They appear to be very well made with excellent connections and beautiful looks. As far as sound quality goes I was able to plug my phone into the Onkyo receiver and play what I wanted. I started with Dave Mathews "Ants Marching". I like to listen to the drums and the "fiddle" on this song and the RTi s sounded nice and warm. Very balanced so far. Next up was Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall" all parts. This is where it got interesting. The input was set to direct so no equalization and they were very bass heavy to me. It wasnt a deal breaker but it was noticeable enough that I played Korn's version and got some port noise too. Interesting. I switched over to the a1 s to compare. I will review them as well but very quickly here let me say that they were more tonally balanced to me as far as music goes. As far as the a3 s go they were very smooth and warm with great tweeters. The highs were very clear and smooth, no hiss or harshness, and the mid bass was great. The low bass was slightly more than I prefer for music but if it was a movie soundtrack would benefit from this. As far as it goes if the roll off started an octave higher or you could cut them by 3 db it would be perfect. Another consideration. My wife loves Godsmack and Alice in Chains so the extra bass is not gonna upset her. That is a plus.

Pros:Smooth tweeters and very good tonality.

Cons:Slightly too much bass but not a deal breaker.

6 of 9 found this helpful

Polk RTi A3

I am in the process of upgrading my home theater system and wanted something with a little more oomph compared to the standard home theater in a box systems. These speakers fit the bill perfectly. Currently have them as from front left/right speakers and plan to round out system with polk center/surrounds and sub soon. Once I fired them up, they play clear and loud and sound great. Music/TV/Blue Ray's all sound great. And the fit and finish is excellent as they look great too. Would suggest speaker stands (I am using 24" stands) vs hanging on the walls as these are pretty deep. If you are looking for a great sounding speaker that wont break the bank, I recommend giving these Polk's a try.

Pros:Great room filling sound that is clear and concise and can go loud if needed. Open box price at Crutchfield is hard to beat and shipping is fast!

Polk Audio RTi A3's

First off for a bookshelf speaker these are not small speakers, please pay attention to size spec's as were a little larger than anticipating but worked well for my large bookshelf setup. Upon arrival at first during break in period I was thinking these were not putting out a lot of sound but clarity in music and movie applications were both very impressive. Once break in period was over boy was I wrong, they were just wanting more power pushed to them and the more you pushed they were just as clear as they were on lower levels as well. I have them as fronts on a Denon 3313 7.2 receiver in a 14x50 open basement setup and they do extremely well for a bookshelf speaker, the construction is well built and solid good looking speakers and the construction shows in the mid range bass area. They really fill in my mid range area that I was lacking, I do have a powered sub to help pick up the low end but now realize I need to upgrade my rear channels to match. Overall I am very pleased with them and would be good midrange speakers to use in multiple application if space allows.

Pros:Great speakers in a midrange price (on sale at time). Clear tight highs with a good mid range bass.

Cons:Lack a little on low end but expected that for the size so really have no complaints....

4 of 4 found this helpful

Audiophile quality at a reasonable price

Having built some over $2500 speakers with the finest components, I know what's good and what's very good. The RTi A3 is very good and that's after listening to some of the best bookshelves under $1000/pair. My son convinced me to buy these on faith in his judgement (he owns a pair). I would never question his judgement and bought them and quite happy I did. They are not fully broken in, but that doesn't matter because they are already 5 star now. Their dynamics and transition is tops and they are very detailed without the piercing highs and mids that people think sound so wonderful. My Barbara Streisand records sound good on these speakers and very few speakers can make her sound good with her range.
With all of the accolades, I warn you that if you don't have an amp that's powerful (50 watts rms or better) then I doubt these speakers will sound good. Second, if you play crappy sounding music on these, they might sound even crappier. They are highly recommended for budding audiophiles that simply can't afford the imported speakers.

Pros:Detail
Dyanamic output
Great transition

Cons:You need good source music (preferably a good phono/cartridge), excellent CD/DVD player
Size might be too much for those looking for a true bookshelf speaker (these really need pedestals)
50 watts or better from a clean amplifier

5 of 7 found this helpful

RTi A3

Great little speakers. Had my eye on them for a few years. I use them for home theater and stereo use. They replaced 30 year old AR58s. Great for a small room. Very affordable . Would recommend and would buy again.

Pros:Lite , compact , affordable and great sound reproduction.

Cons:Need sub woofer for low end.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Speakers

I needed to replace the old speakers. I have a small 12' by 14' room and I already had a small Polk subwoofer. My Crutchfield adviser recommended these. I am not disappointed. Listening to music or watching a movie they fill the room nice clean sound.

Pros:Great sound from a small and very good looking speaker.

Cons:none

0 of 0 found this helpful

Good value

So far I'm pretty happy I still haven't listened to much music yet but seem to sound good and clear I do have a sub so not sure how they perform without it. I would probably buy again for this price range

ATi A3

Great speakers, very open and transparent with excellent midrange detail. Replaced a Triad 3 piece subwoofer/ satellite system with the Polks and have been very pleased. The deepest low end bass is not as prominent without a subwoofer, but the added lower midrange more than makes up for it in detail and clarity. The new speakers are more balanced and "live" sounding than the old ones. Using the speakers with a Denon receiver and Sony CD player, both from the early '90's and now want to upgrade both to get the most out of my new speakers. Will test them out with vinyl soon. Also, I am very impressed with the finish and build quality, got the cherry veneer and they look beautiful as they sound.

Pros:Excellent speakers, especially for the price

Cons:None

2 of 3 found this helpful

Great sounding speaker for the size

Kris from Dayton,Virginia on 3/20/2014

We were looking for a speaker for our Karaoke System and we always go to Crutchfield for all our audio needs. we found the polks speakers on sale. we listened to many and nothing sounds better for the price than the Polk. turns out the speakers were on sale and we chose the Polk for the quality of the sound and the looks. we are very pleased and excited to spend lots of time outside this summer for friends,food, and music. we would recommend Polk for anyone who needs speakers, recievers or anything that Polk produces. Crutchfield has many knowledgeable employees that are willing to help anyone whom walks in the door in Harrisonburg,Va.

Pros:Great sounding speaker for the price.

Cons:None

1 of 1 found this helpful

Clear as a sunny day!

I bought these for mainly music listening. I originally had these single amped and they sounded amazing. Once I got these Bi-Amped to my AVR... wow, so clear and the highs came out. These sound exceptional, very exact and very clean. When I was doing research on these I read somewhere that these were considered "lifeless" I didn't know at the time what that could exactly mean since every speaker I have ever heard has some kind of little characteristic to its sound. I understand now though... these speakers are so technical, exact and clean. You will hear everything and will notice the difference of FLAC and any other audio file.
My Setup: Yamaha RX-A1020 Bi-Amped Polk RTI A3 (L & R) Pre-Out Polk PSW125 Sub Polk Blackstone TL150 (center and SL & SR) 14 guage wire banana plugs to AVR and bare wire to speakers

Pros:Highs are super high
Very clean and exact sound
Bi-Amped - makes a difference
Grills are high quality with plastic backing and easy to pull off

Cons:So exact and technical its Almost Lifeless
Cheap rubber stick on feet. (customer sticks them on)
Not really a con, but not a ton of bass so get a sub.

Polk RTiA3

I am very impressed with the sound quality and fit/finish of these speakers. I am using 4 RTiA3's (black finish) along with a Polk subwoofer (DSW-600). I have the speakers mounted on 30 in high speaker stands. The sound is excellent, especially when you crank the power up a little.

Pros:Appearance, build-quality, sound quality.

Cons:None so far.

3 of 3 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTi A3

The speakers are amazing with their silk dome tweeters. Returned other speakers with aluminum tweeters cause speech was tinny and unclear when watching tv. Plenty of Bass and midrange. Using with rti A-7's front speakers and a CSI-4 for center and a definitive Tech pro sub-800 for a subwoofer..

Pros:Great sounding for full sound spectrum would definitly recommend to buy.

Cons:

2 of 2 found this helpful

Great Addition

Just added these RTiA3 to my system which includes Polk Audio RTi A9 fronts, Polk Audio CSi A6 center, Polk Audio FXi A6 rear surround, and a Polk Audio PSW108 powered to a Sony STR-DA5800ES. A big difference from 5.1 to 7.1 and these speakers really sound good !!! Just need two more FXi A6 to complete to a 9.1 setup. Everything was purchased through Crutchfield, GREAT SERVICE and GREAT PRICES. Can't beat Crutchfield's service. Been doing business with Crutchfield since 1999.

Pros:Great sounding speaker and a great look with the cherry finish.

Cons:none

3 of 4 found this helpful

Great Speakers

Jim from Charlottesville VA on 10/10/2013

I have these as my wide channels in a 7.2 HT system that also consists of the Polk RTI-a7 (R and L channels) CSI-a6 (center channel) and FXI-a4 (surrounds) all run by the Denon 3313CI. Just like the other Polks in this series the RTI-a3 speaker sounds great. It's a large bookshelf but it's still a bookshelf so if I were running these as my right and left channels I would say you really need to make sure you have a subwoofer. But I would say that for any bookshelf. As far as music and movies, this speaker does it all very well. If your primary interest is music and you consider yourself an audiophile then I would say you might want to up your budget a bit and look at the Polk LSI series. But then again most true audiophiles wouldn't even consider $400 speakers, some of them wouldn't even consider $400 speaker wire. But I digress. Truly, if you want a good speaker at a very good price that can handle whatever you want to throw at it then this speaker will serve you really well.

Pros:Great sound. A lot of speaker at a great price.

Cons:

6 of 6 found this helpful

Very nice

Very pleased. I finally bought something that seems to be worth more than I paid for it. Value is hard to find these days and I'm often disappointed with most products that I buy because everything is very expensive and poorly made. These Polk Audio RTiA3's are top notch speakers that are beautifully designed with high quality materials and they sound fantastic.

Pros:High quality, great value

Cons:none

3 of 3 found this helpful

Great speakers

Right now I would rate these a 3.5 but would buy them again. These are still new to me and maybe they are not all the way broken in. Compared to my last speakers these have more highs and mid range. All the different sounds seem separate like the drums, cymbals, guitars, etc... My last speakers didn't have the highs or mid range so the sounds were blended and muddy. These are not at all. I have not heard them turned up beyond 50% so cannot comment on their ability to sound good when maxed out but for low listening volumes they work well as long as it is not too low. I do notice that they need more power to hear them correctly compared to my old speakers. My old ones play louder than these at the same volume but then again if I matched the last two surrounds to these I would not notice the difference. I am using my old fronts as surrounds. So at 10 on my volume I hear the surrounds louder than I hear these which are set up as fronts. Once I get up to 25-45 of volume I don't notice the difference in loudness. These do not have floor thumping bass, you will need a bass for that. These are not as large as I thought after I read all the reviews but they are deep.

Pros:Have decent bass, great mid range and highs. Have a wide sound stage.

Cons:Tweeter sounds scratchy and blown when really close to it. Need a little power to hear them properly.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Very nice speakers

I was looking for a speaker that would take less space than my existing giant size speakers from the 80's. I still wanted quality but massive volume was no longer necessary. These speakers were perfect. I think they are very balanced, I had done a side by side comparison to Klipch & these were more balanced, pleasant & realistic to listen to. I listen to a lot of acoustic music. Having a sub woofer does help. The cherry wood is beautiful.

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1 of 1 found this helpful

Excellent speakers!

These speakers sound as beautiful as they look! I have Polk Monitor 10s that still sound excellent but my wife wanted something smaller for our family room. The cherry wood is beautiful and the speakers not being square boxes really appeals to her. The speakers produce a very nice full sound!

Outstanding in every regard

I got these as rear surrounds to get that whole 7.1 thing going. Now I feel terrible that they have to sit in the back of the room. Build quality is fantastic. They are beautiful (even my wife likes their looks). And most importantly, they sound awesome. I swapped them out with a pair of Klipsch bookshelves in my bedroom and couldn't believe how great they sounded right out of the box. Much, much better. They provide solid detail throughout their range and have nice imagining. Even with a little 55 watt Sonos, they play nice and loud. They sound amazing as rear channels. Polk has really nailed it and it seems impossible to go wrong with the great service that Crutchfield provides. Buy them. I can't imagine you will be disappointed.

Beautiful Sound

I know it's ridiculous but I replaced my old Dalquist 10's with these. I think for what I listen to and the space they are in, these Polk's are perfect. No comparison between the classic Dalquist and the new Polks, but let's just say I like the Polk's so much, I may buy my brother a set. Very happy with the purchase.

WOW!

When you open the package and take these bad boys out for the first time, WOW, A work of art! Next connect to a high quality receiver , run auto speaker calibrate and prepare to be amazed. I bought these speakers for stereo play back. The imaging and soundstage are perfect. Music sounds like the band is performing right in front of you, clear and detailed. You will want to augment with a sub for the really low notes. You will also want a pair of speaker stands to increase speaker performance.

Pros:Great looks, amazing sound, If you want a quality bookshelf speaker then these are the ones you want. Crutchfield's service is top notch. Thanks!

Cons:

2 of 2 found this helpful

Very Pleased

It is difficult to know where to begin so I will start with Crutchfield service: I have been a long term customer and never have they disappointed, but they seem somehow to continue to improve. As to the speakers, the cherry finish is very nicely done and attractive. As to sonic characteristics, the first thing I noted was how full and large these speakers play. The normal connotations associated with bookshelf speakers do not apply to these. In addition, the production of music is so nicely balanced it seems almost delicate. As well as these play, I find the bass response somewhat wanting. But when adjusting my sub, I found myself wanting to be very careful to not disturb the work of the Polks as all that was wanted a just a bit of enhancement and they are otherwise so very pleasant. These replace a pair of Infinity Overture II's. I was fond of those speakers and hated it when the internal amp died on me. I was also very hesitant to go with smaller speakers but, hesitant though I am to say so, I believe these perform better than that which they replace. So, not only did these speakers not disappoint, they surprised very pleasantly.It is difficult to imagine how one could do much better for the size and certainly for the price.

Pros:the speakers "play" much larger than one would expect with a nicely balanced full range in an attractive cabinet. I am also fond of the integrated wall mounts.

Cons:bass response could use just a bit of augmentation

7 of 7 found this helpful

Great Sound

Great sound and the awesome finish.Polk makes a great product.We are using them as fronts in a 5.1 system.We also ordered the SI A4 center speaker and DSW PRO440WI sub . All work great together.Service from Crutchfield was great ordered them on a sunday had them on the next wednesday.

Polk Audio RTi A3

We replace an old set of Infinity Bookshelf speakers with the Polk Audio RTi A3 speakers for the back of the room. What a remarkable difference in the sound quality. We are enjoying the improvement in bass and clarity in the higher sound range. These speakers have a great look and feel as well, giving our room a great look. We have the Polk Audio RTi A7 floor standing speakers for the front of the room and the RTi A3 speakers for the back the room. Together they look great and produce a remarkable sound.

Polk Audio RTi A3

Best bookshelf speakers available

Jeff L from Chattanooga on 1/15/2013

I agonized for months before settling on these, and I was not disappointed. I almost bought tsi 400, more than happy I didn't, amazed the sound from these speakers. Have them hooked to an onkyo 717 . Certain films at thx reference levels are mind blowing. Transformers,avatar, inception. I seriously doubt I will ever pay $10 to see a movie ever again. Unless mama makes me of course. No brainer buy them

Pros:Great depth, string instrument jump out at you

Cons:Nothing

6 of 6 found this helpful

Excellent Speakers

I am not one to write online reviews, but these speakers are amazing. I am powering them with a vintage Yamaha CR-620 receiver and I couldn't be happier. My records, CDs and Apple lossless files have never sounded so good. Plenty of warm rich bass, and an accurate full range of sound. The Cherry finish is really nice.

New Pok Speakers for my surround system

I was thinking of ordering a different brand name and the salesperson talked me out of it. Great decision. Although I will not know how the other speakers blend in, it made more sense to stay with Pok as I have a center speaker, bass and two other awesome Polks. The new speakers were able to blend in or mix in well. He told me to give them at least a few weeks but it was not necessary. Now, a few weeks into the new sound, I cannot be happier. I would recommend these speakers to anyone; they can handle tons of power and are good with the Trebile sound.

Pros:Easily blends in well with the other four speakers. Easy to set up. Attractive.

Cons:None

2 of 2 found this helpful

Impressive

I'm picky about my speakers and these are beautiful AND sound great. I was pleasantly surprised by the bass they could produce. Crisp and clear with the flexibility to bi-amp if you choose. They don't get any better in my opinion.

Pros:Beautiful, I got the cherry cablnets. Convenient size and still produces like a larger speaker. I haven't bi-amped yet, but plan to. Volume without distortion, very nice. I'm a Polk fan now.

Cons:Connections are light but adequate. Heavier duty would be a nice touch.

0 of 1 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTi A3

I was looking for some Bookshelf speakers to replace a pair of Boston Acoustics CR75s. After going to a big chain store to try to audition some speakers I was thoroughly disappointed with the sound quality for the price point I wanted to spend. So after doing some research, looking at many of the reviews I decided to order the Polk RTi3s. I'm very happy with them. For the money, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better sounding bookshelf speaker. They have an accurate, and natural sound, with decent bass response for bookshelf speaker. I'm using them primarily for music (mostly rock/pop but classical also) my front main speakers powered by a Denon A/V receiver in my living room. I'd say they are better than my Boston Acoustics CR75s (largely due to richer bass), however I thought the Boston's tweeter was slightly more crisp. They have a far superior sound than I could have bought in a chain store around me for the same or even more $. Glad I ordered them through Crutchfield. I doubt you will be disappointed either.

Pros:Natural sound with balanced and depth to the good tight bass response for a bookshelf speaker. Overall very Good sound.

Cons:None of significance.

6 of 6 found this helpful

Wonderful Speakers!

First, I want to thank Crutchfield. Bill Crutchfield is running one of the most customer-oriented and supportive businesses I have ever encountered. His sales and support staff are absolutely the best. They are there for you 100%. I would rather buy from them then the store around the corner because of their wonderful support and return policies. You are always treated like gold, even when returning a product. I purchased these speakers to replace HUGE DBX Soundfield speakers I had owned for 25 years.and they were fabulous. I could have hidden four of these Polk RTi A3's in just one of them. Yet, the sound coming out of this low-priced Polks rivals the DBX's. I compared these to a number of other quality brands, thinking I might make a surround out of them, but found that over-all for my tastes, these were just fine on their own. while they might not be as clear and crisp."true and pure".and the imaging not as distinct, they have a warmth and resonance that outpace all others I tested in their class, including Peachtree and PSB. And the cherry cabinetry is stunning.

Pros:Warm, rich sound. Great for voices. Good separation and reasonable imaging. Beautiful cabinetry.

Cons:Large for my space and larger than most other bookshelf speakers I checked. Wish they had the imaging and distinctness of the PSB line melded in, but given a choice, I prefer the lushness of sound that the Polks put out.

3 of 3 found this helpful

Polk RTi A3 Speakers: Excellent Performers

Nothing new to add to other reviews. Very happy with these speakers for music and video. In the same general price range I sampled speakers from Klipsch, Boston A, Bose, PSB, and others, these Polks won out

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4 of 4 found this helpful

open box disappointment - exchange satisfaction

I took advantage of the open box discount. Upon installation I noticed a slight crackle on one speaker. I swapped channels and the same speaker made the same noise. When I reported this to Crutchfield, they immediately shipped a replacement pair and allowed me to keep the defective set until the replacements arrived. Outstanding service...Realize that tthe replacements were not an open box, yet I was not billed for the difference. I wish I knew what caused the problem with the original set...was the open box part of the problem and some yahoo pushed them too hard to early? No idea.
So, to review the performance - I'm using these as a set of small fronts with support from the PSW111 sub and being pushed by Denon's AVR-1912. I am quite satisfied with the stereo sound so far although I don't intend to push them too hard. I am still trying to determine if I like the virtual sound or if I like them better with the sub. A good test will be Tool's Parabola some time down the road. I won't expect them to punch me in the chest, but I am impressed with the depth and frequency response they provide with or without the sub. The main intent of this system is for my surround setup which includes Polk's CSI A4 center and a pair of Bose 161. All in all, I would say that the 161's are the weak link, but price wise, they were also the most economical and since the intent is to use them as rear surrounds only, let's just say I'm satisfied.

Pros:Sound depth for size of unit.
hanging option which was not stated or shown anywhere

Cons:I bought additional hanging mounts.

3 of 4 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTiA3

I orginally wanted a pair of RTiA7's, however, the receiver I presently have does not have enough power to sufficiently drive the A7s. I spoke with the people at Crutchfield and their advise was to purchase the A3s until I could upgrade my receiver and buy the A7s. I could then use the A3s as surround speakers. I have them at present as the front speakers and I like them very much. All my speakers are now Polk Audio and I can tell a difference in the channel separation and clarity. They are a great buy for the money. In the near future I plan to puchase another receiver and upgrade my apeaker setup , of which the A3s will still be part of.

Pros:They sound and look great. The biamp feature is nice too.

Cons:none

5 of 5 found this helpful

Great Speaker, Great Price!

I have had these little speakers for approximately 2 weeks now, and they sound great! I didn't need full size speakers, and think that would have been overkill in an apartment. the bass is fair, but I will probably be adding a sub for the lower range. All in all, very pleased!

Pros:Great value for the price

Cons:None that I can think of

4 of 4 found this helpful

Bi-amping improves depth

Scott from MN on 9/8/2012

I bought these with the free compact sub and am currently using them with a good old Kenwood KA1100 amp. With the A+B outputs both hooked up they have great depth. I'm now upgrading to a home theater receiver which will also be bi-amped.

Pros:Cherry finish looks great on matching stand.

Cons:Needs the sub for good bass.

4 of 4 found this helpful

Wow!

I am by no means an audiophile, but wanted a quality set of speakers to begin building out a home theater system. After plenty of hunting around and reading reviews, I chose these and am very happy thus far. Not sure if I will keep them as the mains and add Polk FXi A4's or move these to the back and get RTi A7's up front. With a brand-new Denon AVR-1912 receiver, I plugged in my iPhone and played a few tunes (Apple lossless compression) and it sounded fantastic! Beautifully clear, clean and non-fatiguing. I haven't heard recorded music sound this good, well... ever! Again, with the caveat that I am not an audiophile... I could almost admit that I bought these just for the looks; the finish is that magnificent. Strongly recommended.

Incredible !!!

I bought a set of RTiA3 as front speakers the RTiA1 as surround speakers, the CSiA6 center speaker and the DSW Pro 550 Subwoofer from Crutchfield. They are run by a Yamaha RXV871 receiver on a 5.1 configuration until I buy another pair of RTiA3 for back speakers to make a 7.1 HT. All the above is placed in my 20'x18' bedroom with 18' cealings and all I can say is that I tried ea. speaker individually with both music CD (Yannis at the Acropolis) and DVD (The Lion King and Green Lantern both in Blue Ray) I then play Unforgiven and the experience has been just incredible. These speakers perform very,very good. I turned up the volume and the concreate walls were shaking. My closest neighbour that is about 100' from me asked me this morning if I heard the gun shots last night,LOL. I took him home and show him who fired the shots and he was speechless,LOL. Yes, this little giants are that good, not only that but they are build like a tank with a beautifull cherry finish and provide a sublimal listening experience. This review will not be compleate without giving a big THANK YOU to Cruchfield customer service and support Staff, they are the BESTin the business and deserve five (5) stars also. All these speakers were shipped free and I received them in two days, now that is service.

Pros:Fantastic sound, construction quality, beatiful finish and the best investment I had made in a long time. Go ahead make your day, buy them.

Cons:None

7 of 7 found this helpful

Unbelievable

First let me say I am NOT a tech-type person, and due to my home location, I have no way to audition stereo equipment for comparison. I talked to Tony at Crutchfield, discussed with him what I desired, and ordered the RTiA3s. They arrived on time(free shipping), and from the instant I opened the box, I have been impressed. The finish is absolutely gorgeous, but the sound is unbelievable. The frequency range seems to me to be perfectly flat, NOTHING is too loud or quiet. I literally had forgot what a good snare drum sounds like. I had never heard speakers that produce this quality of sound at all volume levels, background to loud, very clear, with no noticeable distortion, It is almost hard to set the volume correctly.
I'm using them for my mains, with a Blackstone TL3CC center, and DSW Pro 550 sub, powered by an Onkyo TXNR 609 Receiver, All purchased at same time. Can't wait to order my surrounds.
If you have even considered ordering these, go for it. I really don't think you will regret it.

Pros:Beautiful finish, clear balanced sound

Cons:Speaker size is a little deep, but after reading reviews, I was expecting that.

7 of 7 found this helpful

Amazing Speakers!

So this review is also a comparison to my RTi A1's. The high and midrange frequency presence is excellent, the low end clean and not overplayed. I mainly listen to Classical music where clarity is a must, and these RTi A3's are outstanding! The linearity of frequency transition, highs to lows, is nearly seamless. There is a bit of a dip in midrange, as compared to my RTi A1's, but as close to perfect as you can get. Now moving to more contemporary music, listening to Chicago's "Chicago Transit Authority" on CD, Question 67 & 68 absolutely blew me away! The opening which includes bass, percussion and horns hits solid and the clarity is amazing. Again, the low end, although a bit more present then with the RTi A1's, is not overplayed and very natural sounding. Like the RTi A1's, the Polk RTi A3 speakers will deliver in as nearly a perfect sound as you may find.

I love these speakers

I purchased these with the matching CSiA4 center, FXiA4 surrounds and DSW PRO550wi sub so I really havent listened much to the RTIA3s by themselves...as part of a RTiA 5.1 setup with a quality receiver, the sound is AMAZING! Movies or music, concert loud or whisper quiet, the RTiA3s deliver clean beautiful sound. I want to say again that the sound is brilliantly clear and satisfying at low volume for late night movies without loss of detail, or easy backround music that still allows for conversation and if you are in the mood for volume they will effortlessly play loud enough to hurt your ears with no distortion.

Pros:Amazing sound quality, beautiful cabinets, full line of voice matched speakers available for no guesswork surround sound. Crutchfield has the best service and support on the internet

Cons:These speakers are power hungry. I first hooked them up to my receiver which boasted a full bandwith measured 90 w per channel. I was not impressed. they didnt sound bad but they sure didnt produce the sound I was looking for either. I already spent my entire budget but in for a penny in for a pound I bought the best refurb receiver my budget would allow 100w 8 O, THD 0.05%, 20 Hz~20 kHz. With this amp the speakers exceeded my expectations. quality speakers need quality power

Amazed

I own a pair of Kenwood LS-P7200 6-way speakers and upgraded to a Sony STR-DA2100ES receiver. Suddenly I could here the difference between the Kenwoods and the rest of my 7-speaker surround system (Bose). I decided on the purchase of the Polk Audio RTi A3s because of a review in Stereophile magazine (excellent review for speakers in this price range). To say that I was amazed is an understatement. I listen to all kinds of music. From pipe organs to banjos to distorted guitars, there is not a nuance that is missed. These speakers sound so good that they sometimes brings me to tears. I can't wait to upgrade my center channel. With Crutchfield I received my slices of heaven in 2 days and didn't pay shipping. I can't thank you guys enough.

Pros:Unbelievable sound quality.

Cons:I have such a huge collection that I'd rather spend even more hours listening than sleeping.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Great speakers

These speakers replaced very large Boston Acoustics A400. At any reasonalbe volume, I can't tell any difference - of course there would be a difference at high demand. Very pleased; clear mid and high range, and surprising bass given its size. They may not be for you if you want to shake the walls, but short of that, these are a great value. The system drives the Polk speakers in the living room and Bose 301 in the kitchen - better than the Bose in all aspects.

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1 of 2 found this helpful

Super Sound

I wrote a review but it would not send it so I will just say on this one I really like these speakers. I have bought them from a great home electronics store. Everything that you purchase for Cruthfield you have life time support, which is super. All the Guys & Gals that you maybe deal with do everything possible to help you out no matter what the problem maybe. Cruthfield is just a super place to buy your home electronics needs. When it comes to exchanging an item that doesn't do what you thought it was suppose to do, they do a great job in getting you into a product that will do the job for you without you paying a very large sum of dollars to do the exchange.

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5 of 9 found this helpful

Worth Every Penny!!!!

I originally purchased these speakers to be the rear surrounds for my sound system. I currently have them set up front as mains until I get my RTi A7's. First of all, the cherry wood on these speakers is absolutely beautiful! Prior to powering them up for the first time I wasn't expecting much since "they are just bookshelf speakers." These speakers give new meaning to the phrase "dynamite comes in small packages." I am running Polk FXi A4's (rear), CSi A4 (center), RTi A3's (front) and a Klipsch Sub 12. I am powering all of the Polks with a Denon AVR4310 CI. I was absolutely shocked when I heard how well these speakers performed in this setup. The mids and highs are exceptional and blend well with the other RTi/FXi speakers. I thought they were a tad bright at first but after about 30-40 hours of use they really opened up. I am pushing 130 watts to each speaker and have had them loud enough to hurt my ears - no distortion at all!!! I like the RTi A3 speakers so much I plan on buying another set for my bedroom. If you are looking for high quality great sounding speakers, you will not be disappointed with the RTi A3!!!!

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15 of 16 found this helpful

Very Impressive!

These speakers are GREAT for music and movies! i havent ever had a set of
bookshelf speakers that are capable of producing such strong lows. these
speakers bring everything to life. but if u are a "Bass-a-holic" like me, id
recommend a sub.... or 2.
these speakers voice match very well with the TL2s(my surrounds) and the CSiA6
center. i highly recommend these speakers.

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7 of 8 found this helpful

Nice for the size

I've had these speakers for several weeks now. One thing - they are designed to be mounted on a wall at about ear level, spaced well apart. You won't experience what they can do until that happens. Like most speakers, placement is important. They have 2 ports, one front and one rear. The rear PowerPort is meant to rest on a wall. I moved my pair to the garage on shelves slightly above my head and they sound nothing like they did in my living room hanging on the wall.
Overall, they are impressive for their size. Tight and clean is how I would describe the sound. Workmanship and finish are grade A.

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2 of 4 found this helpful

Wow

Wow, these are truly remarkable speakers. Their value is incredible. I did quite a bit of research and I listened to quite a few other speakers that were more expensive than these. I settled on these, however; they're just so good. They sound natural. The bass is full and defined, and the mids and highs are crisp and clear. While a subwoofer is certainly not necessary with these, I'm still partial to a 2.1 system for music. Nevertheless, these are awesome. I can hear instruments I've never heard before and they all mix together perfectly. Whereas Bose is a complete mess when you have several instruments playing together, these are perfect. You can hear each individual instrument as if it is in the same room as you. Thanks, Crutchfield and Polk!

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7 of 10 found this helpful

Maybe Good for Theater but Certainly NOT Music

Bought these speakers and regretted it from day one. My goal was to have a speaker that had a full-range and very open sound. These were definitely not it. Although the soundstage was wide it lacked depth. The bass was NOT clean and tight and instead it was distant and muddy. That fact is these are better used for Home theater use and it seems these are strictly geared for that. If anyone is looking for a music speaker I highly suggest passing on the Polk RTi-A3's and look at the Definitive Technology StudioMonitor 450 as these are geared for music and double well for theater also. I would also like to state that I'm NOT bias against Polk and in fact love my psw505 subwoofer which has a sound which blends well with music. I use it with my SM450's and creates a beautiful sound which everyone gives me compliments on. I have seen tons of reviews of how good the Polks are and that is why I bought them without listening. I regret it so I suggest going to the store and listening before buying and try the def tach sm450's I think most will agree the def techs are far better if music is the main focus of the user's setup.

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13 of 36 found this helpful

exceptional sound, at a fantastic price

I just purchased a pair of polk RTi-A3 speakers and they have performed way beyond my expectations, I love how they fill the room with smoothe sound,even at higher volumes.These are the first speakers my wife considered as quality with style, so I was good to go. I paired these with a CSi-A4 center and a pair of FXi-A4 surrounds

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1 of 1 found this helpful

Exceptional Value, Excellent Performance

I purchased these speakers without auditioning them, which is something I never do. I added them as a second set of speakers on a two channel stereo system. (My two mains are sitting on the floor.) My goal was to add some ambience to the room, using the Polks as rear speakers, mounted high in the room, to supplement the mains and fill the room with sound. Having been caught up in the snobby audiophile world over the past 10 years, I was about to shell out over $2000 for some small B&W speakers. But instead I decided to take a chance on the Polk RTiA3s. I can tell you that I was blown away by these babies, every bit as good as speakers costing 4 times as much. Without using a bunch of audiophile jargon, I would say that the sound coming out of these speakers is clean, accurate and without coloration. As such, I would say that the Polk RTiA3s could be the best value in bookshelf speaker out there. Plus, they look great and are built extremely well. I simply do not know how anyone could be unhappy with these speakers, especially considering the price point. I love them!

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4 of 5 found this helpful

Excellent quality and sound

David from Verona,VA. on 5/1/2010

I just recently purchased a pair of the RTIA3, and after hearing other speakers at Crutchfield, I was very pleased with this pair of speakers. It has a very well bass response for a speaker of it's size and has exceptionally crisp and clean highs at all volumes. If you like music but don't want the big speaker this is definetly the way to go. It sounds great playing all genre of the music spectrum.And it is also a great home theatre speaker as well. I must also say the staff worked with me on what I wanted. Thank you Crutchfield. I would definetly recommend this speaker. It is big, crisp, clear sound in a little box.

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11 of 12 found this helpful

Incredible quality

Excellent sound quality, looks great too! I have these front speakers matched with Polk's CSiA4 center channel and FXiA4's in the rear. it's just an unbelievable sound field. I've wanted this type of home theater setup for years. It's a music lover and movie lover's dream come true. You won't be disappointed.

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5 of 6 found this helpful

Excellent sounding bookshelf monitors

The RTi A3 bookshelf speakers sound very natural and open - when paired with matching CSi A4 they sound perfect with movies. I purchased the Cherry finish and it is flawless - leading to a great spouse approval score. I like to listen to jazz and classical - as a stereo pair of speakers they provide a clean and open sound-stage - you will need a sub-woofer to provide a fuller sound at lower frequencies.

Great Spekaers

Now, I am deaf in one ear so am not the greatest judge of directional sound. But, I thought my decreasing interest in music was due to my recent surgery (which left me deaf on one side). Not so. It was the old speaker set. The Polk RTiA3 speakers are incredible. The range and depth of the sound is much more than I was expecting (or used to). They look great and don't take up the room that my old speakers did. I'm listening to music again and enjoying it in a manner that I thought was behind me. These speakers have my highest recommendation.

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11 of 11 found this helpful

Not bad!

I live in small studio, powering an integrated amp (40 watts per side, no sub out), listening primarily to hard rock at low to medium high volumes (my poor tenants next door!). The Rti1's have a tighter sound than the Rti3's, emphasizing more mids and highs. With my system and preference, the Ati1's lacked adequate low end. Plus, the Rti3's have a bigger overall sound. The difference in cabinet size and weight between the two models is noticeable. The Rti3's are BIG for bookshelf speakers. I would recommend the Rti1's with a sub-woofer. In my case w/o a sub out, the Rti3's are a better choice. Either way, both are can't go wrong mid-priced speakers. Hope this helps! Mahalo.

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11 of 12 found this helpful

RTI-3's

the polk monitor 40's which i also have are the bang for the buck kings- no doubt. if you require this trait with some class for more sophisticated music and all around upper scale sound quality with a heap of mega-punch one should shell out a little more for these beauties. no disapoitments!!

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6 of 8 found this helpful

Wow!

Pete from San Diego, CA on 9/19/2008

I got these to replace my Bose 301 speakers that I thought were good. When I heard these I could not believe the difference! What a warm dynamic range these speakers have. They are really well constructed and look (cherry finsih) fabulous. The first night I got them I didn't want to go to bed. I was having such a great time listening to all my CD's again for the 1st time. They do ok with low end, although with a good sub they are fantastic. They also respond REALLY WELL at lower volumes. I was really surprized to hear the full dynamic range at the lower volume setting that I was listening to. I wasn't familiar with Polk before now, but I am glad that I went with these.

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10 of 10 found this helpful

The Seabiscuit of Speakers

Don't try and tell this speaker that it's "Small". This is a tower speaker in a bookshelf body! I am replacing an 18 year old 5.1 system and even though this speaker is 1/3 of the size of them, Wow, what a nice sounding product that is beautiful to look at while the lights are on!
I have a dedicated 2,850 cubic foot theater room and added a complete 7.0 system from Polk (I already had a new 12" 350WRMS Sub). A tower speaker was ruled out due to the WAF (Wife Appreciation Factor) and the built in 15' wide entertainment center. I paired these speakers with the CSiA6 center speaker, FXiA6 surround speakers and RTiA1 back surround speakers. The sound field produced is amazing for clarity and balance and with a proper AVR & HD player; the Wife & I are never going to the Cinema again!
Whether you are watching a concert HD Disc or Hollywood movie, the sound is so accurate and believable to what you are watching. These speakers produce an experience with sound that I have never heard before. The Sub takes care of the LFE and that allows the rest of system to work the mids and highs to perfection. The sound is warm, inviting and immerses the listener. I can now listen to HD movies at higher SPL without any discomfort (at certain frequencies) that bothered me with the old system. This system will easily support me for another 18 years (Sorry Crutchfield!)

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20 of 25 found this helpful

Polk Audio RTi A3

Bought these speakers to use in my den(to replace a pair of Polk floor standing speakers I bought in 1992). The wife wanted smaller speakers this time, but was adamant that they be Polk Audio. These babies were just what the Dr. ordered. Small size, look great, and the sound is, well, spectacular! Ya just can't go wrong with Polk Audio. We couldn't be more satisfied with these speakers.

Product Research

Driver Technology

Dynamic Balance: Dynamic Balance is a proprietary Polk Audio
technology using laser imaging to determine what combination of speaker
materials create the least amount of resonance. Eliminating resonance in
speakers results in a wide, smooth response and low distortion.

Polymer Composite Woofers: Each speaker features a 6-1/2"
polymer composite woofer for smooth wide-range response with low distortion. For
high performance durability, each woofer uses a butyl rubber surround.

Silk/Polymer Tweeters: Each speaker has a 1" silk/polymer
dome tweeter that provides clear, detailed highs. Each tweeter features mylar
bypass capacitors in the crossovers to extend high frequency response and
improve detail and transparency. Each tweeter features low viscosity ferro-fluid
cooling with a heat sink on the Neodymium magnet for superior heat dissipation,
power handling and reliability.

Frequency Response: The overall frequency response is
40Hz-27kHz and the -3dB frequency response is 50-26kHz.

Enclosure Design

Damped Asymmetric Hex Laminate (DAHLI) Cabinet Design: All-MDF
construction with massive asymmetric cabinet bracing ensures a resonance-free
enclosure for accurate sound. The asymmetric design is made from a 6-layer
laminate with 5 viscous layers to create the optimal shear damping (OSD) system.
The elegant styling aside, curved cabinets not only result in a stronger, more
rigid and acoustically inert enclosure, but the curved walls also produce less
audible coloration from panel resonances.

Power Port Venting System: Each speaker has a rear-firing
Power Port venting system built into its back plate for precise deep bass
response. This venting system allows air velocity to slow gradually, vastly
reducing air turbulence, and delivering greater bass efficiency than
conventional ports.

Acoustic Resonance Control (ARC): Internal cabinet resonance
can impart a "thick" character to voices. Polk's patented Acoustic Resonance
Control port system overcomes this problem. In addition to the Power Port
venting system, each speaker has a front-firing port that is tuned to suppress
the internal cabinet resonance, resulting in smooth, natural midrange
reproduction.

Connections

Dual 5-Way Binding Posts: Each speaker has two sets of
gold-plated 5-way binding posts connected by gold-plated jumpers. Using the dual
5-way binding posts, you can bi-amp or bi-wire the speakers.

Mounting Options

Wall Mounting: The Power Port back plate on each speaker has
a keyhole slot, allowing the speaker to be mounted on the wall using the
supplied 2-1/2" wood screws.

Magnetically Shielded: The speakers are magnetically
shielded, allowing you to place them near your television without distorting the
picture.

Our Product Research Team

At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team. They verify what’s in the box, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

Accessories

Q & A

Customer Q&A

Crutchfield askedWhy did you buy this?

Value[ Carl Jun 13, 2017 ]

After watching many online videos comparing several bookshelf speakers, the Polk Audio RTi A3 seem to be what I need for my living room.[ Juan P. May 30, 2017 ]

I chose these RTi A3 because it was time for me to upgrade from my Polk M1 which has been with me for the last 17 years. Since i also bought the new floor standing speakers i figure these RTi A3 would work perfect as well.[ Judy May 22, 2016 ]

I have a set of these speakers already, that I've had for about a year now. Great speakers.[ RICHARD May 01, 2016 ]

These speakers had the features that I wanted and the reviews were good.[ Steve Feb 21, 2016 ]

Polk makes the best speakers on the market. I've been a customer for many years.[ Douglas Sep 08, 2017 ]

Like the way they sound[ G Jul 18, 2017 ]

It was love at first sight for the RTi A series. The Cherry finish was irresistable. I had been enjoying the RTi6 (BLK) for several years and just had to upgrade based on the very positive reviews for both the RTi A3 and A1. I actually started with the RTi A1 and just could not warm up the sound. I then auditioned the RTi A3 and was wowed initially, but after some very serious A/B, the RTi6 won out. Sadly, I retuned the A3 with minor negatives, just personal preference for the RTi6.[ LOWERY Mar 19, 2017 ]

Gift for musically talented son.[ John Mar 05, 2017 ]

Fantastic sound!! Great balance between sound and physical footprint. These are smaller speakers that have a nice BIG sound![ Christopher Jan 18, 2017 ]

Based on my budget, and discussion with a rep at Crutchfield, they seem to be the best speakers for the money.[ Aaron Sep 12, 2016 ]

These were bought for a room that has all four walls full of books on shelves. They fit the shelves (barely), sound very good (paired with a scratch and dent Polk subwoofer), and look really nice too.[ THOMAS R Mar 13, 2016 ]

It was a mistake buying these because they have no bass for their size, but the overall sound is clean and accurate. They are better used in surround (which I use mine) because the noises running through this channel are truly amazing to the point of surprising me often.[ Audiolad Mar 09, 2016 ]

Long-time polk audio fan, but used my last bookshelf sized speakers for TV surround sound. These are a more modern replacement. Not the highest quality Polk, but more than good enough for a living room system. Enjoys excellent reviews.[ David E. Dec 19, 2015 ]

2 questions already asked

I have 2 pair of these using 2 Denon receivers. different rooms
one 90 watts, one 95 watts per channel. great sound![ RICHARD Jun 22, 2016 ]

One hundred watts per channel and they sound great. I had them originally connect to a Yamaha amp that put out about 30 watts per channel in my living room (this was temporary) and they sounded fine at low volume. But, on my new Denon receiver, they seem happier and sound really good. Probably could take 120 with ease.[ John Jun 21, 2016 ]

I have a Marantz SR7009 125w. They really could handle them.[ ANTONIO A Jun 21, 2016 ]

95 amps[ JAMES Jun 21, 2016 ]

Connected to Denon 3311c 125Watts per. I re-allocated my in ceiling Front for Height and bought these to use as Front speakers. Mixed with surround and surround back in wall speakers (all Polk) sounds pretty good when the right content is playing.[ THOMAS C Jun 21, 2016 ]

I am powering the Polk RTi A3 with a Yamaha RX-S600 which has 55 watts per channel at 8 ohms. I have no complaints[ Bill Jun 21, 2016 ]